Mr. Chairman. I rise to address myself to the sectin appearing on page 10 of the bill which deals with the program of assistance to Cuban refugees and to the reasons of the committee noted in its report for taking the action on pages 27 and 28 of the report. Mr. Chairman. this cut made by the committee amounts to 21 percent. The specific reasons assigned in the report for the cut are that the administrations request for the care of unaccompanied refugee children is too high. and ought to be reexamined. and therefore a cut of $15.110.000 was made on a $70 million request. The total amount of money in the budget request for care of unaccompanied refugee children was $13.8 million. By no calculation or through any manner of arithmetic. logic. or otherwise. could you in any way justify the cut or save that amount of money unless you did away with the care of refugee children. Mr. Chairman. 42 percent more funds are allowed in this bill over last year. but we also have 106 percent more Cuban refugees. I think you will pardon a personal reference when I say that I have to live with this problem. because most of the refugees are in the congressional district which it is my honor to represent. I must compliment all the Catholic church groups. the welfare agencies. the citizens. and the public units for having done what I believe can be documented as an outstanding job in dealing with this problem of Cuban refugees. I take great pride in the fact that we have done as well as we have in meeting the problem of Cuban refugees which finally has been recognized as a national problem. The committees admonition has been noted. the figures have been reexamined. and I will put all of this information into the RECORD. I am sure our logic. judgment. and fair play will do what is right.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees